If you aren't already on the influencer marketing train, it's time to get on board. Currently, just over 25% of marketers are taking advantage of influencer marketing even though the industry is now valued at over $21 billion and growing steadily.
Whether you're new to the influencer marketing game or simply looking for new ways to improve your partnership ROIs, it's always best to be as creative as possible. Let's look at five unconventional collaborations that will excite and engage your audience while helping you gain new followers.
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Develop a digital course together.
Online learning is only becoming more popular over time, so this is a simple, effective way to collaborate with influencers to give your brand a unique edge over competitors. This might sound daunting, but it's much easier than you think. There are numerous platforms available that make the process more streamlined, and some are even in marketplace format (think Udemy or Skillshare), so there's an additional built-in audience to market to.
To do this, make a list of topics that your brand and your influencer have the knowledge, authority and passion to speak on. Without these, the course will never get off the ground. Be sure that the topics you choose are also things your target audience wants to learn about. Consider your unique perspective and how this collaborative effort can offer value to customers. The added value of a well-known influencer in your sphere can help spark additional interest and boost the reach and visibility of your brand.
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Establish Facebook groups.
Themed Facebook groups are still considered a highly effective method for creating brand interest, especially since these communities often have high conversion rates. In fact, according to HubSpot, social media is the third most effective sales channel for businesses, and 78% of brands using social selling see significantly more sales than those that don't leverage social media groups.
Additionally, the data shows that influencer-published content gets 60% of Facebook user views in the U.S., while brands only get a 10% share on their own. This, combined with the fact that customers who engage with live chats and communities are at least 53% more likely to make a purchase, means that an influencer-led Facebook group is an excellent way to get better conversion rates, overall engagement and share of voice.
One way to do this is through "account takeovers," where an influencer is able to post directly from your brand and interact with your audience. This not only allows your brand to take a more hands-off approach to collaboration; it also helps to funnel the influencer's audience to your groups because they will announce their takeover multiple times across all of their channels. An excellent example of this is the partnership between Aliza Eliazarov, a photographer focused on farming and animals, and the brand My Pet Chicken. Aliza posted chicken portraits and was able to promote her book, and the brand got a full day of engaging content plus access to Aliza's followers, many of whom became My Pet Chicken followers.
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Co-author an e-book.
The e-book market is slated to reach just over $14 billion by the end of this year, and there are roughly 1.2 billion e-book readers worldwide. Writing an e-book with a popular influencer in your niche can be a low-budget way to offer longtime customers as well as new prospects an interesting, value-packed product.
E-books can also be ideal for setting up marketing funnels. A brand-influencer collaborative e-book can be a great hook for gathering customer information (e.g., email addresses, communication preferences, willingness to purchase). Offering people either a short, free downloadable book or a portion of a full-length book written with a well-known author or influencer will garner high conversion rates and significantly boost engagement.
Suppose an e-book is too big of an undertaking at first. In that case, you can also collaborate on smaller projects, such as guest posting to relevant influencers' blogs or making guest appearances on popular podcasts within your niche. You can even co-curate a newsletter to send via email on a weekly basis.
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Create interactive products together.
Personalization and interactive experiences are high on the list of things customers want and expect in today's digital landscape. When your brand partners with an influencer, don't be afraid to think creatively about ways to offer fun, memorable and interactive experiences.
For instance, creating video or music playlists via YouTube, Apple Music or Spotify is a great way to leverage an influencer's clout as well as take advantage of any trends, holidays or pop culture happenings (e.g., co-curating a Barbie movie-inspired Spotify playlist or a funny animal video playlist to get through a midweek slump).
Another popular and effective avenue is outcome quizzes. Think Buzzfeed quiz, but relevant to your marketing goals. They're fun and easy and offer a highly personal call-to-action that gives excellent conversion rates. Statistics show that this level of fun personalization leads to repeat purchases for 78% of customers and 202% better conversions.
Finally, your brand can even organize big events, such as Travis Scott's Fortnite concert. The live event had a days-long buildup, plenty of social media hype and an unforgettable in-game experience. The entire island was transformed into a stage, and players were immersed in out-of-this-world visuals while a larger-than-life Scott performed in their midst.
This event showcased the remarkable synergy of a partner platform Mitgame with Fortnite’s own marketing team and other affiliate organizations, that harnessed the power of affiliate marketing to attract users and amplify the event's impact, demonstrating the immense potential of such collaborations.
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Connect through influencer-led messenger channels.
Messenger channels are still a relatively untapped avenue for sales and marketing, but they are surprisingly effective when used correctly. Some of the brands that are recognizing the power of messengers have created a new wave of influencers who are known for their themed channels and niche online communities.
Discord servers, Telegram group chats, Instagram broadcasts and other similar channels are perfect vehicles for offering a more intimate, personalized user experience that generates more brand interest. Creators can send their channels text, pictures, links and videos throughout the day and respond to followers' messages in real time.
ConvertSocial data shows that people in these channels perceive the responsiveness and interactivity of these channels as more "real" and refreshing when compared to a polished Instagram photo or YouTube video. As a result, users turn on notifications for their favorite channels and check them frequently, which brands and creators rarely get on other platforms. In one instance, ConvertSocial statistics found that global beauty sales through Telegram channels exceeded 7% for 2023 based on this level of personalized interaction.
Final Thoughts
Influencer collaboration is an opportunity to substantially boost your brand visibility, awareness and reach while maximizing your marketing ROI. Regardless of your industry, thinking outside the box and finding interactive, attention-grabbing and creative ways to engage your followers with the help of popular, relevant influencers offers nearly endless ways to grow and gain a better share of your niche market.
